User talk:JDMangrum

Hello, FirstCharlestownPastor, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions.

I noticed that one of the first articles you edited was First Church in Charlestown, which appears to be dealing with a topic with which you may have a conflict of interest. In other words, you may find it difficult to write about that topic in a neutral and objective way, because you are, work for, or represent, the subject of that article. Your recent contributions may have already been undone for this very reason.

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I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date. If you need help, visit the Teahouse, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or ask your question on this page and then place {{Help me}} before the question. Again, welcome! Gommeh 🎮 19:35, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for the warning and coaching. New to all of this and not the most technologically savvy. Requested a username change. Open to either JDMangrum or PastorJD. While I see your point about conflict of interest, my greater interest is making sure we correct the history as we've come to understand it (and get it grammatically correct). The church never actually closed but changed names and has been undergoing a revitalization; we are trying to tell the history accurately and well. And we are trying to even get the church back onto Wikipedia's "Oldest Continuously Operating Churches in the US" list. Harvard University, the City of Boston, and others have recognized and affirmed that the First Church in Charlestown did not Close (as the page states currently) and is doing fine. FirstCharlestownPastor (talk) 19:52, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

Welcome to Wikipedia. Your account has been blocked from editing because your username gives the impression that the account represents a group, team, club, organization, company, product, department, or website. Your username is the principal reason for the block. You are welcome to continue editing after you have chosen a new username that complies with Wikipedia's username policy.

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Thank you. CoconutOctopus talk 19:41, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

User renamed. Soft block removed. – robertsky (talk) 05:32, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks Robert! CoconutOctopus talk 09:45, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Thank you Robertsky and CoconutOctopus. So just to clarify: Would it be better to make edits in a separate place and then submit them to you all or to just go ahead and hit "edit" and make adjustments, with your team serving as the arbiters for conflict of interest and other concerns? I am good with either. Just want to be efficient here. Full disclosure: The main edits we will make will likely include an updated photo, some additional information about the Great Awakening in the 1700s concerning George Whitefield preaching at the church, more information about Jedediah Morse (pastor 1789-1819) and his contributions to Boston's church history, and some updates about the church today. That last part would, if I were you all, be the part that would be most closely watched for conflict of interest. I want to be sure not to violate any policies. JDMangrum (talk) 18:57, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Additionally, all cards on the table, maybe you can help me here: The church is not currently listed on the Wikipedia page for "List of the oldest churches in the United States." By my math we would be between #12-14 with our November 12, 1632 founding date. The church has operated continuously since that date without ever closing, though undergoing some name changes over the centuries. Can you tell me what we would need to do to ensure that the church is on that list? We never "closed" the church, never ceased to legally operate as First Church in Charlestown, and believe a previous administrator listed it as "closed" when the name change occurred and pastoral leadership changed in 2022. JDMangrum (talk) 19:00, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Hi Robertsky I just wanted to clarify some updates I made today. All in keeping with the History of the First Church in Charlestown, written by William Budington, that I cited each time. I also used Walking Together by Christine Jaronski, a previous minister here. The most "controversial" things I would have done were to (A) remove an anecdotal story about busing and some bricks being thrown through windows -- I have never found this story in print or been able to verify it in 10 years living in Charlestown; just seemed inappropriate to perpetuate this story that could make our church look more "heroic" than I can prove that we were. And (2) I updated some info about the 2000s and the church building...I hope these edits are not seen as a conflict of interest but acknowledge that you all could see them as such. Please let me know if further edits to keep it more neutral would be recommended. Thank you. JDMangrum (talk) 16:59, 18 August 2025 (UTC)